Cable clip system for use on standing seam metal roofs

ABSTRACT

A clip may include a first vertical wall having a first lower edge. A clip may include a second vertical wall having a second lower edge. A clip may include a top wall joining the first and second vertical walls and creating a gap therebetween. A clip may include a routing clamp extending outwardly from each of the first and second lower edges, the routing clamp including: a lower guide, an upper guide, a bendable member joining the lower and upper guides and can be bent over a heating cable such that the heating cable is trapped between the upper guide, the lower guide, the bendable member and one of the first and second vertical walls.

PRIORITY CLAIM TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to related previously-filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/264,425 to Kuhl, filed Nov. 22, 2021, entitled ROOF CABLE CLIPS. The contents of this previously-filed application are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Heated cables are commonly used to prevent ice buildup on roofs in cold climates. The positioning of these cables is critical for the cables to function properly. Roof clips are typically used to connect the cable to the roof top and vary in design according to the type of roof on which they will be deployed.

Standing seam metal roofs have parallel raised seams that are evenly spaced and run from the roof peak down to the eaves to create channels in between the seams. This type of roof has a smooth surface and may result in large pieces of snow breaking loose and sliding down the channels and off of the roof. It is thus important that a heated cable be routed such that shifting snow does not pull the cable out of position. It is of further importance that the clips route the cable in such a way that conforms to all industry standards.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The various embodiments of the invention described herein address the aforementioned needs by providing a cable clip that easily attaches to a standing seam metal roof and routes a heated cable such that the cable is oriented straight down the slope. The orientation of the cable provides an uninterrupted path for water and snow to slide down the roof without putting undue forces on the cable. The clip also prevents the cable from bending sharper than the minimum radius allowed by industry standards. Additionally, the clip allows the cable to be attached quickly and securely, to maximize installation efficiency.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a clip for use in securing a heating cable to a metal roof seam including: a first vertical wall having a first lower edge; a second vertical wall having a second lower edge; a top wall joining the first and second vertical walls and creating a gap therebetween; a routing clamp extending outwardly from each of the first and second lower edges, the routing clamp including: a lower guide; an upper guide; a bendable member joining the lower and upper guides and can be bent over a heating cable such that the heating cable is trapped between the upper guide, the lower guide, the bendable member and one of the first and second vertical walls.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system for preventing a buildup of ice on a metal roof with a plurality of parallel seams forming channels between the seams, the system including: a plurality of clips fastenable to seams on a metal roof; a heating cable routable through the plurality of clips; a routing pattern for the heating cable in which: the cable passes through a first routing clamp of a first clip of the plurality of clips, the first clip positioned on a first seam of the plurality of seams at a lower location; the cable continues upward along one side of the first seam through a first routing clamp of a second clip of the plurality of clips, the second clip positioned on the first seam at an upper location; the cable passes over the seam to a second side of the first seam; the cable passes through a second routing clamp of the second clip; the cable continues downward along the second side of the first seam through a second routing clamp of the first clip; the cable is routed below an upper surface of the roof to a second seam of the plurality of seams; wherein the routing pattern is repeated for a desired number of seams of the plurality of seams; wherein the channels between the seams remain clear of horizontally-oriented lengths of heating cables.

In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method of preventing a buildup of ice on a metal roof with a plurality of parallel seams forming channels between the seams, the method including: fastening a plurality of clips to upper and lower locations on each of a plurality of seams; routing a heating cable through the plurality of clips such that the channels formed between adjacent seams of the plurality of seams remain free of horizontal lengths of the heating cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features and advantages of which embodiments of the invention are capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a roof clip of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of three clips of varying widths being used with different roof seams in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of an embodiment of a roof clip of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of a roof clip of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective of a plurality of roof clips installed on a roof and being used to route heating cable in accordance with one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective of a plurality of roof clips installed on a roof and being used to route heating cable in accordance with another aspect of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a first step of an embodiment of a method of installing a roof clip of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second step of an embodiment of a method of installing a roof clip of the invention; and,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a third step in an embodiment of a method of installing a roof clip of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

Referring now to the Figures and first to FIGS. 1-4 , there is shown an embodiment of a roof clip 10 of the invention. The roof clip 10 generally includes a first vertical wall 20 separated from a second vertical wall 30 and joined by a top wall 40 that spans a gap 50 between the first vertical wall 20 and second vertical wall 30. The gap 50 is sized to be wider than a width of a vertical metal roof seam to which the roof clip 10 is to be attached. FIG. 2 is an end view of the clips showing non-limiting examples of different gap 50 sizes.

The first vertical wall 20 has a first lower edge 22 from which a routing clamp 60 extends and the second vertical wall 30 also has a second lower edge 32 from which a routing clamp 60 extends. The clips 60 may be identical in form and/or function, and will be described herein as the same routing clamp 60.

Each routing clamp 60 includes a connector 62 that connects the routing clamp 60 to the lower edge of the respective wall. The routing clamp 60 further includes a lower guide 66 and an upper guide 64. The lower guide 66 and upper guide 64 are joined with a bendable member 68. The bendable member 68 is constructed to be bendable without the use of tools, yet strong enough to retain the bent configuration while subjected to shifting snow and ice.

In at least one embodiment, the roof clip 10 is constructed from a single sheet of a suitable rigid but bendable material, such as steel or aluminum, and formed into a preinstalled shape, such as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . In these embodiments, the desired bendability of bendable member 68 may be attained by selecting a width that is narrow enough to afford bendability while maintaining sufficient strength.

In at least one embodiment, the width of bendable member 68 may be smaller than a width of the connector 62 such that the connector 62 maintains a curve that orients the lower guide 66 in a perpendicular relationship to the respective wall to which it is attached.

The lower guide 66 and upper guide 64 are each curved to predetermined radii r1 and r2, respectively. Radii r1 and r2 may be equal. The curves facilitate entry and exit of the cable into and out of the clamp without contacting sharp edges that could damage the cable. Additionally, heated cable routing must meet industry standards, which includes a minimum radius of any bend in the cable. By selecting a predetermined radius r1, r2 that is equal to or greater than the industry standard, the installers are assured of meeting the standards without the need to measure the radius of the cable curves.

FIG. 5 is an example of a heated cable system 100 installed on a roof 110 that uses a plurality of roof clips 10 to form a routing pattern 120. The roof 110 has parallel vertical seams 112 that run directly down the slope of the roof 110. The routing pattern 120 is formed by placing roof clips 10 at an upper location 122 and a lower location 124 on each seam 112 above an eave 114 of the roof 110. The upper location 122 should be selected such that it is directly above an outside wall of the structure. The lower location 124 should be at a bottom of the seam 112. The routing pattern 120 is then completed by installing a cable, preferably according to the method 200 described below, through the routing clamps 60 of the roof clips 10.

As seen in FIG. 5 , doing so results in the cable extending through a routing clamp 60 of a roof clip 10 at a lower location 124, up along one side 116 of a seam 112, through the routing clamp 60 connected to the first vertical wall 20 of the clip 10 at the upper location 122, curving over the seam 112, through the routing clamp 60 connected to the second vertical wall 30 of the same clip 10, and back down a second side 117 of the seam 112 where runs through the routing clamp 60 of the roof clip 10 at the lower location 124. The heating cable 102 is then routed below the roof channel 118 formed between the seams 112 to the next adjacent seam 112. Ensuring that the cable 102 is routed below the roof channel 118 ensures that the cable 102 will not be impacted by snow or ice sliding off of the roof 110.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a second routing pattern 126 according to the invention. The second routing pattern 126 is identical to first routing pattern 120 except that a surface clip 128 is used below the roof channel 118 to secure the cable 102 to a location on a surface below the roof channel 118. In both first and second routing patterns 120 and 126, the roof channel 118 remains effectively uninterrupted, allowing the heating cable 102 to create paths in the snow and ice for water to flow off of the roof 110 instead of freezing on the colder surface of the eave and forming an ice dam.

FIGS. 7-9 show a method of installing an embodiment of a roof clip 10 on a seam 112. The method begins by installing a butyl pad 202 over the seam 112 to prevent leaks once the roof clip 10 is screwed onto the seam 112. The butyl pad 202 generally includes a sticky backing as is known in the art and is installed by cleaning the seam 112 with alcohol, removing the backing and folding the butyl pad 202 over the seam 112.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8 , the roof clip 10 is slid over the butyl pad 202 and fastened to the seam 112 using known fasteners 212, such as screws. Good results are achieved with self-tapping, hex head sheet metal screws.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 9 , the cable 102 is placed over the lower guide 66 and the upper guide 64 is bent over the cable 102, locking the cable into the roof clip 10. The upper guide 64 may be bent and pinched using fingers or pliers.

Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A clip for use in securing a heating cable to a metal roof seam comprising: a first vertical wall having a first lower edge; a second vertical wall having a second lower edge; a top wall joining the first and second vertical walls and creating a gap therebetween; and a routing clamp extending outwardly from each of the first and second lower edges, the routing clamp including: a lower guide; an upper guide; and a bendable member joining the lower and upper guides and can be bent over a heating cable such that the heating cable is trapped between the upper guide, the lower guide, the bendable member and one of the first and second vertical walls.
 2. The clip of claim 1 wherein the lower guide is curved.
 3. The clip of claim 1 wherein the upper guide is curved.
 4. The clip of claim 2 wherein the lower guide has a radius.
 5. The clip of claim 4 wherein the upper guide has a radius equal to the radius of the lower guide.
 6. A system for preventing a buildup of ice on a metal roof with a plurality of parallel seams forming channels between the seams, the system comprising: a plurality of clips fastenable to seams on a metal roof; a heating cable routable through the plurality of clips; and a routing pattern for the heating cable in which: the cable passes through a first routing clamp of a first clip of the plurality of clips, the first clip positioned on a first seam of the plurality of seams at a lower location; the cable continues upward along one side of the first seam through a first routing clamp of a second clip of the plurality of clips, the second clip positioned on the first seam at an upper location; the cable passes over the seam to a second side of the first seam; the cable passes through a second routing clamp of the second clip; the cable continues downward along the second side of the first seam through a second routing clamp of the first clip; the cable is routed below an upper surface of the roof to a second seam of the plurality of seams; and wherein the routing pattern is repeated for a desired number of seams of the plurality of seams; wherein the channels between the seams remain clear of horizontally-oriented lengths of heating cables.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of clips comprises: a first vertical wall having a first lower edge; a second vertical wall having a second lower edge; a top wall joining the first and second vertical walls and creating a gap therebetween; and wherein the first routing clamp extends outwardly from the first lower edge and the second routing clamp extends outwardly from the second lower edge; wherein each of the first and second routing clamp comprises: a lower guide; an upper guide; and a bendable member joining the lower and upper guides and can be bent over a heating cable such that the heating cable is trapped between the upper guide, the lower guide, the bendable member and one of the first and second vertical walls.
 8. The system of claim 6 further comprising a butyl pad placed between clip and the seam of at least one of the plurality of clips.
 9. The system of claim 6 further comprising screws used to fasten at least one clip of the plurality of clips to the seam on which the at least one clip is placed.
 10. The system of claim 6 further comprising a surface clip placed on a vertical surface below a lower edge of the channel and through which the cable is routed.
 11. The clip of claim 7 wherein the lower guide is curved.
 12. The clip of claim 7 wherein the upper guide is curved.
 13. The clip of claim 11 wherein the lower guide has a radius.
 14. The clip of claim 13 wherein the upper guide has a radius equal to the radius of the lower guide.
 15. A method of preventing a buildup of ice on a metal roof with a plurality of parallel seams forming channels between the seams, the method comprising: fastening a plurality of clips to upper and lower locations on each of a plurality of seams; and routing a heating cable through the plurality of clips such that the channels formed between adjacent seams of the plurality of seams remain free of horizontal lengths of the heating cable.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein fastening the plurality of clips to upper and lower locations on each of the plurality of seams comprises, for each of the plurality of clips: installing a butyl pad over the seam; sliding the clip over the butyl pad; and using a fastener to fasten the clip to the seam.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein fastening the plurality of clips to upper and lower locations on each of the plurality of seams comprises fastening at least one clip that includes: a first vertical wall having a first lower edge; a second vertical wall having a second lower edge; a top wall joining the first and second vertical walls and creating a gap therebetween; and a routing clamp extending outwardly from each of the first and second lower edges, the routing clamp including: a lower guide; an upper guide; and a bendable member joining the lower and upper guides and can be bent over a heating cable such that the heating cable is trapped between the upper guide, the lower guide, the bendable member and one of the first and second vertical walls.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein routing the heating cable through each of the plurality of clips comprises: placing the cable over the lower guide; and bending the upper guide over the cable, thereby locking the cable into the roof clip.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein bending the upper guide comprises bending the upper guide by hand.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein bending the upper guide comprises using a pliers. 